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Book_■ 

Copyright N?_ ; 



COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. 





















































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Which church 
Would Jesus Join? 


REV. ROBERT L. SELLE, D. D. 

'\ 









I 






WRITINGS OF, 


Rev. Robert L. Selle, D. 

D. 

Food for the Soul.Cloth 

$1.00 

Which Church Would Jesus 


Join? .Cloth 

.50 

Winning Men to Christ. .Cloth 

.50 

Sin: Its Origin, Purpose, 


Power, Result and Cure Cloth 

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Old-Time Religion .... Paper 

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PENTECOSTAL PUBLISHING 
LOUISVILLE, KY. 

CO., 








TABLE OF CONTENTS. 
CHAPTER I. 

General Review of the Churches. 9 

CHAPTER II. 

Methods of Choosing a Church 
With Which to Affiliate ... .27 

CHAPTER III. 

The Name of the Church.37 

CHAPTER IV. 

Forms of Worship.45 

CHAPTER V. 

The Sacraments of the Church. .55 







Table of Contents Continued. 


CHAPTER VI. 

The Form of Government.67 

CHAPTER VII. 

History of the Churches.77 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Doctrines of the Church.85 

CHAPTER IX. 

Character Developed by the 
Church.97 

CHAPTER X. 
Characteristics of the Church of 
Jesus Christ.123 












General Review of the 
Churches. 


CHAPTER I. 

General Review of The 
Churches. 

The number of ecclesiastical organi¬ 
zations throughout the world known as 
Evangelical churches, runs into the hun¬ 
dreds. They all claim the same source 
of origin, the same authority for their 
existence and the same work as their 
mission in the world. Upon fundamen¬ 
tal teachings of the Bible regarding such 
subjects as the Godhead, the Creation 
and Fall of Man, Redemption through 
Jesus Christ, the Free Moral Agency 
of Man, Repentance, Faith, Future Re¬ 
ward and Punishment, and Heaven and 

( 9 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Hell, all these churches substantially 
agree. Upon minor points, however, 
they differ. They agree on Ordinances 
but differ upon the methods by which 
they are administered. The measure of 
agreement or difference is largely influ¬ 
enced by the acknowledged relative im¬ 
portance of the point in question. 

Each Church claims Jesus Christ as 
its individual Head; that it was founded 
upon the teachings of God’s Word; that 
it was organized under the direction of 
the Holy Spirit; that its code of doc¬ 
trines represents Christ’s ideal; that its 
mission is to evangelize the world, and 
that its membership is composed of the 


( 10 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


most devout, Christ-like people to be 
found. 

These opinions are not strange, nei¬ 
ther are they hard to understand, al¬ 
though they are expressed by every 
church that knows the name of Jesus 
Christ. Every mother knows her own 
family better than she knows the fam¬ 
ily of others, and even as this is true, 
every church knows itself better than it 
knows any other religious organization. 

The fellowship that the members of 
a church have enjoyed in worship; in 
service; and the consequent blessings 
they have received have been such as to 
cause them to believe that their church 


(ID 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


is the best church in all the world, just 
as each mother thinks that her children 
are the sweetest, prettiest and best child¬ 
ren that ever lived. 

In view of the foregoing facts, the 
question, “WHICH CHURCH WOULD 
JESUS Join?” has a far-reaching sig¬ 
nificance. The question is rendered 
somewhat bewildering when it is seen 
that each church plans its work and 
works its plan, practically as if it were 
the only church in the world; each inde¬ 
pendent of the others and each taking 
the world as its field of operation and 
the evangelization of the human race as 


( 12 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


its mission. Meetings are held, societies 
organized and churches established here 
and there without reference, as a rule, 
to the location of other churches, al¬ 
though they may be in the same neigh¬ 
borhood or block. 

A ludicrous but expressive story is 
told of a coincidence which occurred in 
two churches, a Methodist and a Bap¬ 
tist church, in the same block in a coun¬ 
try village. There was but a single 
residence between the two churches, and 
singularly enough that one was occupied 
by a family of skeptics. One beautiful 
Sunday morning the two congregations 


( 13 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


assembled in their respective churches to 
worship the Lord. Neither congrega¬ 
tion was large enough to occupy one- 
half the seating capacity of either of the 
churches. Heartily and with voices 
strong enough to be heard several blocks 
away the Methodists began to sing that 
familiar hymn, “Will There be any 
Stars in my Crown?” As heartily and 
with voices equally as strong as die 
Methodists the Baptists sang at the same 
time, “No, not One; No, not One.” 
Both congregations were singing so 
loudly that neither could distinguish 
what the other was singing. However, 
the people of the village who did not 


( 14 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


attend church that day knew what each 
sang. 

In the great battle which is being 
waged between sin and righteousness, 
the army of King Immanuel is divided 
into many companies known as church¬ 
es, each fighting the common foe under 
its own regulations with but little or no 
reference to the position, movement, or 
progress of other parts of the great 
army! 

Should the question? “Which Church 
Would Jesus Join Should He Return 
to the Earth?” be asked representative 


( 15 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


groups of all the denominations, the fol¬ 
lowing responses would be given: 

The Baptists, somewhat surprised that 
the question should be raised, affirm that 
Jesus is already a member of the Baptist 
Church. 

The Congregationalists, likewise, 
most emphatically declare that the Mas¬ 
ter would quickly become a member of 
the Congregational Church. 

The Disciples of Christ, or Christians, 
do not consider the question debatable 
at all, but state unhesitatingly that Jesus 
Christ would immediately become a 
member of the Christian Church. 

The Episcopalians, with much dignity 


( 16 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


and confidence, say that the Redeemer 
would affiliate with the Episcopal 
Church. 

The Lutherans, fully persuaded in 
their own minds as to the righteousness 
of their cause, unhesitatingly declare that 
Jesus would become a member of the 
Lutheran Church. 

The Methodists, true to their convic¬ 
tion and loyal to their denomination, say 
enthusiastically that Jesus Christ would 
choose the Methodist Church. 

The Presbyterians, with convincing 
dignity and becoming solemnity, say 
with much assurance that the Master 
would unite with the Presbyterian 
Church. 

( 17 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Should the same question be asked 
official groups of a dozen, or of a hun¬ 
dred, or several hundred other churches, 
all would answer alike, positively affirm¬ 
ing that Jesus Christ would become a 
member of the church represented by 
each group respectively. 

Should the same question be asked 
representatives of all the Evangelical 
Ghurches in existence—old and young, 
large and small, white and black, in the 
cities and in rural districts—in quick re¬ 
sponse all would reply and the number 
of different answers given would equal 
the number of churches in the world. 
All would be given with equal sincerity 


( 18 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


in the belief that they are right. Each 
group of representatives would name 
their own church and affirm that it is the 
one with which the Master would affil¬ 
iate. Every answer given would be 
with such an apparent degree of author¬ 
ity as to indicate that each church in the 
great family of churches owned and con¬ 
trolled the Lord Jesus Christ. 

No question can be raised as to the 
sincerity of a single answer among the 
hundreds given to the same question. 
All were prompted by a belief that the 
chief principles advocated by the church 
of which they are members are more in 


( 19 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


harmony with the teachings of the Bible 
than those of any other church, and that 
therefore, should Jesus Christ return to 
the earth. He would certainly approve 
of and affiliate with the church of which 
they are members respectively. 

But notwithstanding this unquestioned 
honesty, they cannot all be correct. 
Who then are mistaken? Would Jesus 
be a Baptist? Would He be a Con- 
gregationalist, an Episcopalian, a Lu¬ 
theran, a Methodist, a Presbyterian, or 
a member of some other Church? 

This is not a strange, foreign, out-of- 
place question, but a plain, practical one 
with which the churches of the morning 


( 20 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


of the Twentieth Century must deal. 
It is a question, the importance of which 
concerns every church and every mem¬ 
ber of every church throughout the land. 

In order to find a satisfactory answer 
to the question raised in this discussion 
it may be necessary to draw somewhat 
upon the imagination, but if so, it will 
be pardonable. 

Let it be supposed them that Jesus 
Christ has already come; that He is 
now here; that He will withhold His 
identity for a season; that He will re¬ 
main upon earth for an indefinite period; 
-that the locality in which He sojourns 


( 21 ) 







Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


will not be known; that whether He is 
in the city or in some rural district can¬ 
not be ascertained; that while He is on 
earth He will affiliate with some church 
as a member; that the method by which 
He will choose His church will not be 
known until His choice has been made; 
that in His dealings with all the church¬ 
es, rich and poor, large and small, 
worldly and spiritual. He will be abso¬ 
lutely fair and unbiased in His choice. 

There is some light, however, which 
shines upon this apparently darkened 
problem. The record of the life of Je¬ 
sus Christ is open to the inspection of 


( 22 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


the world. He is die same yesterday* 
today and forever. With Him there 
was no yesterday and there will be no 
tomorrow—it is all today. What He 
was. He is, and what He is. He will be. 
Therefore, a comprehensive view of the 
principles involving His character and 
record will prove to be a key with which 
the problem now in hand may be un¬ 
locked. 

With these rays of light gleaming up¬ 
on the pathway of research, let it be fur¬ 
ther imagined that Jesus is now ready to 
begin the task of selecting a church with 
which to affiliate during His stay upon 
earth. 


( 23 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Upon what basis will He make His 
decision? Will it be as difficult for 
Him to make a choice as it would be 
for one wholly unacquainted with 
churches? What will be the effect of 
His decision on the church of His choice 
and what will be the result upon other 
churches? Will He be welcome in 
every church where He goes, and among 
all church-members where He may ap¬ 
pear? Will the method by which He 
makes His choice be satisfactory to all 
when it becomes known? How far 
will He have to go and what amount of 
time will He consume in making His 
decision? 


( 24 ) 





Methods of Choosing a 

Church 

With Which to Affiliate 









CHAPTER II. 

Methods of Choosing a Church 
With Which to Affiliate. 

The mind may be a little slow to 
comprehend and the vision a little dull 
to perceive the idea of the Lord Jesus 
Christ upon earth searching for a church 
with which to affiliate. Such a question 
may be regarded lightly by the churches 
and yet it may be vitally in the interest 
of all concerned for the subject to be 
brought within the realm of considera¬ 
tion. 

There are many methods by which 


( 27 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Jesus can choose His church. He can 
employ any number, or all of them. He 
can consider the different names of the 
churches; 'the forms of worship; the or- 
dinances; the forms of government; the 
histories; the doctrines; the character of 
men and women developed by the 
church, or He can consider them all. 
Any method which He will employ will 
affect all alike and in the end will give 
perfect satisfaction to all. 

In making such a decision the Master 
will not hurry; He will not pass over 
the smallest thing which deserves the 
least of His consideration; He will not 


( 28 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


be influenced by either the rich or the 
poor; He will give everything in every 
church the attention which its importance 
justifies; He will be considerate, just 
and thorough with all. 

One feature of His method of choos¬ 
ing a church home will be silence. The 
daily press will not herald His coming 
or going. Placards in show-windows 
will not announce His presence. Pas¬ 
tors in advance of His coming will not 
“work up” large congregations and 
urge their people to “make Jesus feel 
at home” on a certain day when He will 
be a visitor in their church. Silence and 


( 29 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


quietness with an unknown identity will 
be prominent features employed by the 
Saviour in His method of selecting the 
church of His choice. 

He will not be deterred in His work 
by heat or cold, rain or shine, friend or 
foe, day or night. His plans are fixed 
and will be carried out. He will see 
every church as it is. He will see every 
church at its best and at its worst. He 
will not be biased in any way by rumors 
afloat concerning any church. He will 
see them for Himself and will know 
them as they are. 

All big "I" and little "YOU" atti- 


( 30 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


tudes, whether of individuals or of ec- 
clesiasticisms, will be reduced to a com¬ 
mon level, equalling that of the average 
depth of a grave, in passing under the 
eye of the Redeemer. That which 
should be lowered. He will bring down; 
that which should be exalted, He will 
lift up. Those who want justice have 
nothing to fear. The balances are in 
the hand of the Lord. He numbers the 
hairs upon the heads of His people and 
keeps His eye upon the sparrow. 
Many features of church life almost 
overlooked by the general public will 
receive careful attention, and other feat¬ 
ures regarded as invaluable, will be 


( 31 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


passed by, almost without notice by the 
Silent Visitor. 

But no matter as concerns His meth¬ 
od, or methods, of making a choice? He 
is here, and He is at work. He will 
give all a fair trial and an equal chance. 
Each must pass the same tests. 

His decision will be awaited with in¬ 
tense interest by every church through¬ 
out the world. The effect of His de¬ 
cision will, no doubt, prove to be start¬ 
ling, if not revolutionary, in its nature. 
His decision will settle questions which 
have been the subject of debate through 
the entire history of the church. His 


( 32 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


decision will mark the beginning of the 
time when many will realize that they 
have been teaching as His doctrines, the 
commandments of men, and also, that 
honesty of purpose, except it be founded 
upon the clear teachings of the Bible, 
avails nothing in the sight of the Lord. 
The method which Jesus will employ 
in selecting the church of His choice 
will be a comprehensive examination of 
everything connected with every church 
which bears His name and claims Him 
as its Head. 


( 33 ) 










The Name of the Church 






CHAPTER III. 

The Name of the Church. 

In beginning the work of selecting 
the church of His choice, the first thing 
that Jesus will d'o, will be to examine 
the names of churches for the purpose 
of determining the value of their signifi¬ 
cance. 

The name of a church is significant. 
The degree of importance attached to 
it varies with the spirit of denomination¬ 
al preference, and also with the charac¬ 
ter of church members in every locality 
where the church exists. In one com- 


( 37 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


munity the name of a church, whether it 
be Baptist, Congregationalism Episco¬ 
pal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, 
or some other, may be a synonym of 
spirituality and saintliness, while in some 
other neighborhood the same may sig¬ 
nify ecclesiastical worldliness and life¬ 
less formality. 

The character of the people who 
make up the membership of a church 
molds the significance of its name in the 
vicinity where it exists. If they are 
known as a spiritual people, a people 
who love God with all their heart and 
their neighbor as themselves, a people 

( 38 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


who study the Bible and pray much, a 
people who are not conformed to this 
world but transformed by grace into 
new creatures in Christ Jesus, the very 
name of the church to which they belong 
will be filled with heavenly music. It 
will be held in holy esteem and rever¬ 
ence. 

Such a church will be sought by those 
who hunger and thirst after righteous¬ 
ness, yearning to be filled with all the 
fullness of God. Its pastor will not 
preach to empty pews and its prayer 
meeting will not be suspended during the 
summer months. 


( 39 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


In another community the character 
of the people who make up the mem¬ 
bership of a local society of the same 
denomination may be worldly. They 
may habitually play cards, dance, at¬ 
tend the theatre, the circus, drink beer, 
gamble, swear, and neglect the means of 
grace. The name of the church in this 
vicinity will stand for exactly the op¬ 
posite of what it does in the instance 
cited in the foregoing paragraph. The 
name of the church remains the same 
everywhere, while its significance varies 
with the character of the people to whom 
it is attached. Therefore Jesus cannot 
be governed in His choice of a church 


( 40 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


by its name. Its significance is too un¬ 
certain and too easily changed. 

The name is all right as far as it goes 
but it does not go far enough. It is too 
weak. It has no strength within itself. 
Jesus must have something more sub¬ 
stantial than a name upon which to base 
His selection of a church. 

Devotees to denominational names 
may, without intending to do so, place 
more emphasis on the name than they do 
on the church itself. Such, no doubt, 
will be greatly disappointed as the Mas¬ 
ter passes over the name as a matter of 


( 41 ) 







Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


little or no consequence when it appears 
to mean so much to them. 

In His search for the church of His 
choice, Jesus cannot tarry long among 
names. He must turn to something 
else. He passes on. 


( 42 ) 






Forms of Worship 




» \ 










CHAPTER IV. 

Forms of Worship. 

Having examined the names of the 
churches and not finding anything of 
sufficient importance to justify Him in 
making a choice, Jesus turns from them 
and takes up the Forms of Worship in 
the different churches. 

He makes the round among the 
churches, going from place to place in 
silence, unknown and unobserved. 

Many emphasize the Forms of Wor¬ 
ship adopted by the church to which they 


( 45 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


belong until it becomes almost a means 
of grace to them. It may be, and of¬ 
ten is, a different Form from that which 
is used in a neighboring church, but no 
matter as to that. It is the Form to 
which they are accustomed; the Form 
through which their parents and grand¬ 
parents before them worshipped the 
Lord; the Form they know best and 
love most; the Form which, if Jesus 
should come, He certainly would adopt. 
This is their life-long and unquestioned 
conviction. 

He has come. He enters the church 
a few momens before the services begin 


( 46 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


and remains until they have closed and 
the congregation disassembled. He 
watches with deep interest every part of 
the service from the singing of the first 
hymn, to its close by the benediction. 

Upon entering the church for the ser¬ 
vice, the members of the congregation 
may kneel at their pews to pray or take 
their seats quietly without formal pray¬ 
er; they may stand or sit during the sing¬ 
ing of their hymns; the minister may be 
gowned in the latest fashion of ecclesi¬ 
astical robe, or dressed as a plain citi¬ 
zen; the Scripture lesson may be read 
before or after the invocation; the of¬ 
fering may be received before or after 


( 47 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


the sermon; the choir may be large, 
small, or the singing done entirely by 
the congregation; mature men or young 
men just merging from boyhood may be 
acting as ushers and taking the 'offering; 
the minister may pray or read a prayer; 
he may preach or read a sermon; the 
congregation may be large or small, rich 
or poor, spiritual or worldly, and the ser¬ 
vice formal or informal, no matter 
what, Jesus is present and sees every¬ 
thing, hears every word and understands 
the real significance of everything con¬ 
nected with the service. 

He finds that Forms of Worship are 


( 48 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


like Names of Churches in many re¬ 
spects. Their significance varies ac¬ 
cording to the spirit of the people who 
use them. All devout people do not 
make use of the same Forms in their 
Worship of God. Forms of Worship 
that mean much to some, mean little or 
nothing to others who are equally de¬ 
vout. Forms of Worship may be at¬ 
tractive and impressive but void of spir¬ 
itual life and power. They may prom¬ 
ise much and give nothing in return. 
They may be like the sepulchre which 
is beautiful without but lifeless within- 

Jesus Christ cannot tarry among 


( 49 .) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Forms of Worship. They are too shal¬ 
low for the Prince of Life. He wants 
something that is alive, that breathes, 
that moves, that speaks when spoken to 
and that reflects the Divine Image. 
Shams cannot hold Jesus. He visited 
the fruitless fig tree but once. They 
who worshipped with their lips while 
their hearts were far from God, received 
His rebuke. 

There is nothing in the Forms of 
Worship which is substantial and abid¬ 
ing in its character, and, therefore no 
matter what they may be, Jesus cannot 
determine His choice of church by its 
Forms of Worship. They are to the 


( 50 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


church what garments are to those who 
wear them. Jesus is searching for the 
man and not the clothes which he wears, 
though they may be valuable, perfectly 
fitted and without the slightest evidence 
of being soiled. 

Again He passes on. 


( 51 ) 


































. 





















































The Sacraments of the 

Church. 


\ 










Chapter V. 

The Sacraments of the Church. 

Finding that the Names and Forms 
of Worship adopted by the different 
churches are essentially the same, Jesus 
continues His examination of the church¬ 
es, turning His attention now to the Sac¬ 
raments of the Church. 

The word “Sacrament” as it is gen¬ 
erally understood, means “an outward 
and visible sign of an inward and spir¬ 
itual grace given by Jesus Christ, Him¬ 
self.” Evangelical churches as a rule 
have two Sacraments—Baptism and 


( 55 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


the Lord’s Supper—both of which con¬ 
sist of outward and visible signs of what 
is hoped and believed to be, inward and 
spiritual graces given by the Saviour. 

These Sacraments, or Ordinances as 
they are sometimes called, are held to 
be Scriptural and therefore of vital im¬ 
portance. A few churches, however, 
do not hold this view. 

Jesus Christ Himself was baptized. 
He instituted the Lord’s Supper. The 
Bible plainly teaches and commands 
both. Surely the Master will tarry 
long with these, His own Command¬ 
ments, as He searches for a church 


( 56 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Whose membership is made up of people 
who reflect the Father’s Likeness. 

As Jesus approaches these Ordinances 
for the purpose of examining them as to 
their spiritual significance today, does 
He think of the River Jordan, of John 
the Baptist, of the Spirit of God de¬ 
scending like a dove, and the Voice from 
Heaven which said, “This is My Be¬ 
loved Son in whom I am well pleased?'** 
Does He think of the night in which He 
was betrayed; when He stood in the 
Shadow of the Cross; when He gave the 
Bread and Cup to His heart-broken dis¬ 
ciples as representing His broken body 
and shed blood? Does He think of 
poor Judas? 


( 57 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


What hallowed memories cluster 
around the Sacraments of the Church 
as Jesus approaches them! He is on 
Holy Ground. He has come to His 
own. 

What does He now find? Alas! 
alas! A group here and a group yon¬ 
der disputing about the administration of 
the Holy Ordinances of the Church of 
God! There are those Who will accept 
nothing for Baptism except immersion 
in water; others, equally sincere, claim 
sprinkling with water as the correct 
mode of Baptism, and still other relig¬ 
ious bodies reject both immersion and 
sprinkling, and hold that pouring of wa- 


( 58 .) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


ter constitutes the only Scriptural meth¬ 
od of Baptism. There are still others 
who reject water Baptism altogether. 

From the Sacrament of Baptism, Je¬ 
sus turns to the Sacrament of the Lord’s 
Supper. Differences in the administra¬ 
tion of this Sacred Ordinance are in evi¬ 
dence. In some churches He finds that 
the Communion is administered every 
Sunday, while others celebrate it but 
once a month. Some churches observe 
this Ordinance once in three months, 
while others hold to no regular time. 
Still others disregard it altogether. In 
some churches the Communion is “close” 
and m others it is “open.” 


( 59 .) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


The differences of belief as indicated 
by the various modes of administering 
the same Ordinances cannot be attrib¬ 
uted to degrees of piety, intelligence, 
honesty of purpose, or even consecration 
to God. 

There are not a few who are firmly 
fixed in their opinion that a particular 
mode of administering the Ordinance 
of Baptism, whether it be sprinkling, 
pouring or immersion, is the only mode 
taught in the Scriptures. The mode 
may be emphasized to a degree far be¬ 
yond its importance, and the significance 
of the Ordinance itself be overlooked. 

The same thing is true regarding the 


( 60 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper. Dif¬ 
ferences of opinion concerning its ad¬ 
ministration are often so deeply rooted 
that they cause a division in families i in 
communities and in churches. Many 
times the reality of this Holy Ordinance 
is lost in its own shadow and becomes 
an object of contention among the peo¬ 
ple of the Lord. 

Jesus looks on. Who can know His 
thoughts? No word of blessing or re¬ 
buke falls from His lips at this time. 
He is on another mission. He has come 
to see the churches as they are and not 
what they profess to be. He sees the 


( 61 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


use and also the abuse of the two ordi¬ 
nances which He gave the church, one 
at the beginning and the other at the 
close of His ministry of Redemption, 
to be held in precious memory of His 
cleansing blood and His promise to re¬ 
turn. 

The Sacraments of the churches are 
holy in their original significance, sol¬ 
emn when being administered and spir¬ 
itually helpful when received in the 
name of the Master. Nevertheless, Je¬ 
sus cannot make His choice of a church 
upon the basis of Ordinances, no matter 
by what mode or method they may be 


( 62 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


administered. They are signs or marks 
intended to indicate certain spiritual at¬ 
tainments. The mark may be definite 
but the reality lacking. 

Jesus does not disregard the Ordi¬ 
nances of the churches any more than 
He did the suggestion that He needed 
bread after He had fasted forty days 
and forty nights. “Man shall not live 
by bread alone, but by every word that 
proceedeth out of the mouth of God,” 
was His quick reply to the Tempter. 
Being applied to the Ordinances, this 
answer of Jesus means: “Man shall not 
be saved by the Ordinances of the church 


( 63 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


alone, but by keeping every command 
which is given of God.” 

Without making His choice of a 
church, Jesus turns from the Sacraments 
and will next be found making an ex¬ 
amination of the Forms of Government 
adopted by the different churches. 


( 64 ) 





The Form of Government 























CHAPTER VI. 

The Form of Government. 

What the Master may or may not 
find in the Forms of Government adopt¬ 
ed by the different churches will be of 
deep interest to all His followers. This 
phase of the quesion under consideration 
may be regarded as of little consequence 
by some, but not so by Him who gave 
Himself for the church, “that He might 
present it to Himself a glorious church, 
not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such 
thing; but that it should be holy and 
without blemish.” 

( 67 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


With Jesus nothing is small. Noth¬ 
ing is overlooked. Everything has its 
place of relative value. The Form of 
Church Government will receive due 
consideration from Him. 

In some churches the Form of Gov¬ 
ernment is Episcopal and in others it is 
Congregational. 

Some denominations choose their own 
pastors while the ministry of others is 
under the appointive authority of the 
Episcopacy. 

The general benevolent enterprises of 
some churches are under the supervision 
of legally authorized boards of mana- 


( 68 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


gers, while other churches control their 
benevolent affairs locally. 

In some churches the ministry is paid 
a stipulated amount per annum and in 
others it is not. 

In some churches there are two orders 
in the ministry—Deacons and Elders— 
while in others there are Elders only. 

Some churches have Conferences, 
some Synods, some Conventions, and 
some Convocations in which the legal 
business of the denomination is trans¬ 
acted. 

In some denominations the general 
and annual gatherings are presided over 
by Bishops, some by Moderators and 
some by Presidents. 


( 69 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


These are not all the differences in 
the Forms of Government, but are 
enough to justify the statement that in 
these matters the churches differ widely. 

Does the Master care whether the 
Form of Government adopted by a 
church is Episcopal or Congregational, 
if it is doing His work in the world? 

Does He care how a minister receives 
an appointment to a church as pastor if 
he is divinely chosen for that particular 
held and is God’s man? 

Does He care how the benevolences 
are administered just so die greatest 
amount of good comes to the cause of 
God as a result of their use? 


( 70 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Does He care as to the method by 
which the ministry is supported as long 
as it is done in harmony with the Divine 
will? 

Does He care about the method by 
which new members are taken into the 
church if they have been converted to 
God? 

Does He care about the number of 
orders in the ministry if His word is 
preached faithfully by men of God? 

Does He care whether the general 
and annual gatherings are called Con¬ 
ferences, Conventions, or Convocations, 
if they meet in His name to do His 
work? Does He care by what name 


( 71 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


the presiding officer of a church gather¬ 
ing is called if he represents the Great 
Head of the Church? 

All these and other like questions con¬ 
cerning the government of the church 
can be answered emphatically with one 
little word which contains but two let¬ 
ters—and that word is 

NO. 

The Master will not consider the 
Forms of Government long although 
they may be very dear and precious to 
many devout people. He looks through 
Forms searching for realities. 

The Form of Government is to the 


( 72 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


church What the house is to the family 
which occupies it. Jesus is searching 
for the family and not the house in 
which they live, although it may be of 
attractive design, commodiously arrang¬ 
ed and beautifully decorated and fin¬ 
ished. 

Before He will reach the church of 
His choice, Jesus will find something 
that is real; something that can respond 
to Love. Not finding these things in 
Forms of Government, He turns from 
them continuing His search. The next 
matter with which He will deal will be 
Church History. 


( 73 ) 









History of the Churches 















CHAPTER VII. 

The History of the Church. 

History is a record of minutia. 
Church History is a minute record of 
all events connected with the origin and 
life of the church. Each church has its 
own History. Some churches have 
History covering a period of hundreds 
of years; others have their origin in com¬ 
paratively recent years. The History 
of a church is either long or short ac¬ 
cording to the number of years it has 
been in existence. 

With many, the principal point of 


( 77 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


value in Church History is its age. The 
pastor of a large and influential church 
in a growing city was heard to say a few 
days ago: “I am glad that I do not 
belong to a church whose History began 
in modern times; I am glad that I do 
not belong to a church whose History 
does not go back further than a few 
hundred years; I am glad that I belong 
to a church whose illustrious founder in¬ 
itiated our Lord in His ministry almost 
two thousand years ago.” 

The Chinese, it is said, value things 
according to age. Eggs, for instance, 
that are one hundreds years old are 
many times more valuable, with them. 


( 78 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


than eggs laid in modem times, while 
fresh eggs are, comparatively speaking, 
without a market value! 

The same principle holds good among 
devotees of Church History. They 
care but little about the Name, Form of 
Worship, the Sacraments, Forms of 
Government, or the Doctrines of the 
Church. These things sink into insig¬ 
nificance while Church History looms 
high upon the horizon of their vision. 

All other questions answer themselves 
in the age of the church, which is the 
one spindle around which all ecclesias¬ 
tical wheels revolve. 


( 79 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


But how will the Master view it? 
Man’s opinion is valuable only to the 
extent that it is in harmony with the 
Word of God. 

Will Jesus count the number of years 
wrapped in the History of a church? 

Or will He search its pages in order 
to see the opportunities it has had as 
an agency of salvation in the world? 

Or will He examine its pages to see 
the number of men, eloquent and influ¬ 
ential to an extraordinary degree, who 
have occupied its chief positions from 
year to year? 

Will He be interested in the empha¬ 
sis that has been given to politics, sociol¬ 
ogy and commercialism? 


( 80 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Will He count the number of souls 
that have been saved from ruin through 
its instrumentality? 

Every phase of History has its place 
in the great volume which records the 
details of church existence, and every 
phase, regardless of man’s opinion, will 
be carefully examined by the Master. 

Ah! He finds that History deals only 
with the past. It has no eye with which 
to watdh the unfoldings of time; no 
smile to greet the opening of day; no 
finger to point to the path of safety for 
those whose steps are beginning to slip; 
no arm of strength for the weary and 


( 81 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


heavy laden to lean upon and rest; no 
balm for the afflicted; no bread for the 
hungry; no clothes for the naked; no 
graves for the dead! 

No matter, therefore, what the His¬ 
tory of a church may be, whether long 
or short, filled with accounts of glorious 
victories or neglected opportunities, Je¬ 
sus cannot make it the basis of choice in 
choosing His church. 

He must continue His search. 


( 82 ) 






Doctrines of the Church 





CHAPTER VIII. 
Doctrines of the Church. 

The next feature to be taken up by 
the Master for consideration will be the 
Doctrines of the Church- 

It is intended that Doctrines should 
touch, cover, and deal with every phase 
of human experience, time and eternity, 
God and the Devil, Heaven and Hell. 

There are as many Codes of Doc¬ 
trines as there are different ecclesiastical 
denominations in the world. Some of 
them differ widely while many are prac¬ 
tically the same. However, there must 


( 85 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


be enough difference in Doctrines for 
each to justify itself as an independent 
organization, else it could have no rea¬ 
sonable grounds for its existence. 

Doctrine is the platform upon which 
churches are builded. Ordinarily, a 
church has at least one great Doctrine 
outstanding in its importance, upon 
which special emphasis is placed, such 
as Election, Justification by Faith, En¬ 
tire Sanctification as a second work of 
Grace obtained by Consecration and 
Faith, the Second Coming of Christ, 
Faith Healing, the observance of the 
Seventh Day as the Sabbath, Salvation 


( 86 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


through the Administration of Ordinan¬ 
ces, or, Salvation through Good Works. 

When the central Doctrine of a 
church has been determined, no matter 
what it may be, other Doctrines, ad¬ 
judged adequate to meet existing con¬ 
ditions of necessity are added, those im¬ 
mediately concerned in the establish¬ 
ment of the new ecclesiasticism, making 
the additions. 

All these Doctrines and shades of 
Doctrines are presumed to be taught 
emphatically by the Bible, the adher¬ 
ents of each affirming without hesitation 
Scriptural authority for the use of each 
of them. 


( 87 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Regarding personal Salvation, Doc¬ 
trines deal with the condition of the sin¬ 
ner; name the conditions necessary to 
be met in order to dbtain Salvation from 
Sin; point out the steps leading to Re* 
generation; show the blending of human 
and Divine agencies in securing Peace 
with God; define and designate the 
place and work of Faith in Justification 
and the entire Christian Life; specify all 
the requirements necessary in the obtain- 
ment and retention of that Holiness 
which is essential in order to see the 
Lord in Peace, and cover every phase 
of God’s relation to and dealings with 
the human family. 


( 88 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


The Master sees all. He examines 
all. He knows the value of each. He 
notes the differences which exist. He 
understands the motives underlying and 
leading to the formation of the different 
codes upon which the many denomina¬ 
tions have been founded. He sees them 
from their beginning. He knows What 
they have done and what they are now 
doing. He does not consider the opin¬ 
ions of man regarding their alleged 
Scriptural authority or value. He does 
not take into account the number of peo¬ 
ple influenced, neither the amount of 
property accumulated as a result of their 
existence. 


( 89 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


A single Doctrine may be considered 
with approval until its apparent impor¬ 
tance becomes overshadowing. No 
doubt this is done by many in all church¬ 
es- The fact is, the human vision is so 
limited that it is difficult to see more 
than one thing at a time, and often the 
one thing seen is as “through a glass 
darkly.” 

But is is not so with the Master. His 
vision is clear. He sees all at the same 
time. He knows the value of each and 
the value of all combined. Will He 
select His church because of the Doc¬ 
trines it emphasizes in its creed? If so, 
whidh will it be? Which can it be? 


( 90 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Every denomination answers enthu¬ 
siastically in its own favor, but an inter¬ 
rogation point stands between Jesus and 
the Doctrines of each church in the mat¬ 
ter under consideration here. 

He finds that Doctrines, no matter 
how good nor how clearly stated they 
may be, are dead within themselves. 
They produce results only as they are 
handled by men, and the results are de¬ 
termined by the manner in which they 
are handled. 

Doctrines are often interpreted dif¬ 
ferently by men who profess the same 
belief in and loyalty to them. They 
may be used to advantage in God’s 


( 91 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Kingdom; they may be so abused as to 
bring discredit to the Master’s work; or, 
entirely neglected. Not the Doctrines 
themselves, but the character of the peo¬ 
ple Who handled them, determine their 
value as an agency of salvation. 

Jesus cannot select His church upon 
the basis of Doctrines. They are good. 
They have their place. They are es¬ 
sential. It is evident, however, that 
somehing more than Doctrine is needed 
to save the world from sin. 

Jesus has, with an unbiased mind, a 
clear, comprehensive vision and with a 
just conception of value, examined the 


( 92 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


salient points of differences existing 
among the churches. No church has a 
favorite Name, a favorite Form of Wor¬ 
ship, a favorite method of administering 
the Ordinances, a favorite History, or 
favorite Doctrines with Him. All 
stand upon a common level and receiv¬ 
ed like attention from the Master. 

What step will He next take? Has 
He not considered every phase of 
church life? Is there anything else 
which awaits His attention? Has Jesse 
another son? Will He also come be¬ 
fore the Prophet Samuel? 


( 93 ) 






Character Developed by 
the Church. 


























































CHAPTER IX. 

Character Developed by the 
Church. 

Jesus now turns from the printed page 
and from the houses of worship to the 
business world. There He will exam¬ 
ine the Character of the Members of 
the different Churches with the view of 
determining His choice among the 
churches. 

People who make up the Member¬ 
ship of the Churches, as a rule, handle 
the commerce of the world. They are 
to be found everywhere—in banks; in 


( 97 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus join? 


stares; in offices; in factories; in shops; 
on farms, and everywhere else that the 
foot of man treads. 

In those pivotal places where the 
vast interests of the business-world are 
transacted, and where the centers of op¬ 
eration are maintained, everything is 
done in accordance with some well de¬ 
fined law. The requirements of the civil 
law are regarded more or less, while the 
law of custom and habit, the law of 
usage and liberty are written in large let¬ 
ters upon charts which closely adhere to 
Conscience. There is, however, one 
other law always present—a bigger, 
better law—the law of Golden Rule. 


( 98 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


In searching for His choice of a 
church in the business world, Jesus en¬ 
ters first a banking-house. He is not 
transcending His privilege or authority 
by so doing, for the officers of the bank 
are members of the churdh and bear the 
name “Christian.” Is He not at home 
and among His own when He is with 
them in their place of business? 

He makes this visit as the Author of 
the only law by which business can be 
successfully transacted for two worlds, 
and not as a patron; not as an inspector; 
not to count the money in the vaults; 
not to inquire into the future prospects 
of the institution. He listens to every 


( 99 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


conversation. He examines the day¬ 
books and ledgers. He witnesses each 
transaction. He understands the law 
which governs every word and act. 

The character of the man He finds 
in control of the bank and the laws 
which govern their affairs, is the means 
by which Jesus determines the value of 
the church to which they belong, as an 
agency of developing Character in the 
world. 

From the banking-house, the Master 
goes into the store. Queer place and 
odd time to look for a church? But 
the church people are there and in 


( 100 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


charge of the business. They are the 
same people in the store-room that He 
saw in the church the preceding Sunday, 
the only difference being the clothing 
Which they wear. What they are in 
the store from Monday morning until 
Saturday evening, influences the world 
far more for good or evil, than their 
lives in the church on Sunday- 

Jesus passes slowly through the store. 
He looks at cost-marks and sale-prices 
on every article. He examines the 
quality of the different lines of merchan¬ 
dise and listens to the representations of 
their value as they are shown to custom¬ 
ers. He watches the yardstick as 


( 101 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


measurements are made and the scales 
as groceries are weighed. He stands be¬ 
tween the merchant and the purchaser. 
His interest in each is equal. He un¬ 
derstands the Law by which the business 
is transacted and accordingly determines 
the quality of work being done by the 
church of which the merchants are mem¬ 
bers. Character is the governing prin¬ 
ciple in business. 

From the store to the office is the next 
turn which Jesus makes. The business 
world does not know church people by 
their denominational names—as Bap¬ 
tists, Congregationalist, Episcopalian, 


( 102 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Lutheran, Methodist or Presbyterian. 
They are all “Church members” and all 
churches are the same from a commer¬ 
cial point of view. 

The office is the heart of commerce, 
education, politics, and sociology. The 
different lines upon which the business 
of the world is transacted, all center in 
the office. Every point on the globe 
and every phase of business in the world 
can be touched and controlled with 
lightning’s speed from the office. 

Jesus is present. He stands in their 
midst. He listens to every consulta¬ 
tion. He hears the dictation given to 
every stenographer. He reads every 


( 103 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


message that goes to the wires. He is 
among people who profess His name 
and are members of the church- He 
is there for the purpose of determining 
the laws by which their business transac¬ 
tions are consummated, and when so de¬ 
termined, He will take them as an indi¬ 
cation of the kind of character developed 
by the Church with which the men in the 
office officiate. 

The Church is not an institution for 
the Sabbath only, but for every day in 
the week as well. Its doors are closed 
after the last service of the Sabbath, but 
are opened again early on Monday 
morning throughout the business world. 


( 104 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Millions of people who do not attend 
church services on the Sabbath, deal 
with church people through the week. 
Their ideals of the Church of God are 
not formed from the things that are seen 
and heard in places of worship on Sun¬ 
day, but from what is seen and heard 
in personal contact with members of the 
church during the week* Character 
molded in the Church on Sunday mani¬ 
fests itself in the world through the 
week in commercial, social and political 
affairs. 

—o— 

The factory is the next place where 
Jesus makes His appearance. Here as 


( 105 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


elsewhere, He comes to His own. Men 
in charge, as well as those who labor, 
affiliate with the Church. They are 
not strangers to Him. He should not 
be a stranger to them. He sees the 
materials from which every article is 
produced and knows its value. He 
understands the cost of production as 
well as tlie selling price. He sees the 
rate per cent of profit realized upon the 
investment. Every phase of the busi¬ 
ness is open to His inspection. 

The Master is here upon an impor¬ 
tant mission, a mission whose interests 
are as wide as the human family. Here, 
the results of the Church as a character- 


( 106 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


builder are exemplified under the laws 
which govern the transaction of business. 
Jesus does not ask a question. He sees 
everything as it is. He hears all orders 
as they are given. He understands the 
books as they are kept. He knows 
what the Church is doing for the people 
in charge and thereby determines its 
value as an institution of salvation 
among men. 

Jesus leaves the factory and goes into 
the shop near at hand. Much the same 
conditions prevail, but as they are 
owned and controlled by different peo¬ 
ple, He must go into and through the 
shop also. 


( 107 ) 







Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


A shop is a place where new articles 
are manufactured and old ones repair¬ 
ed. Nothing appears new to the Mas¬ 
ter. He looks around and about on 
every thing as He did when He visited 
the Temple. Though His presence is 
unknown and He is unseen. He knows 
every man connected with the shop, the 
wages or profits he receives, the amount 
of time and service given in exchange 
for the price of labor given, and the 
law by which every transaction is made. 

With full knowledge of conditions as 
they exist among the men, employees as 
well as employers, Jesus determines the 
value of the Church to which they be- 


( 108 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


long as a builder of character in the 
world. 

If the Golden Rule is the controling 
principle in all its affairs, or if it is not, 
Jesus knows it and His decision is ren¬ 
dered upon facts as they exist. Char¬ 
acter stands out in bold relief from ev¬ 
erything else before the vision of Jesus 
Christ. 

The farm is the next place where 
Jesus is found. 

The farm is God’s garden. He 
made the soil and sends the rain to wa¬ 
ter it and the rays of the sun to give it 
warmth. He made the seeds of corn 


( 109 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


and wheat, of fruits and vegetables, and 
gave to man a share of His own mind, 
thereby enabling him to enter into co¬ 
operation with his Creator in planting 
the seeds, cultivating the crops and gath¬ 
ering the harvests. 

As the result of this co-operation, 
God’s garden produces food and rai¬ 
ment for all His creatures. If, at times, 
there should appear to be a lack of ei¬ 
ther food or raiment, or both, it is be¬ 
cause there has been a slackness on 
man’s part in co-operative effort with 
God to produce the necessities of life. 
God does not take pleasure in withhold¬ 
ing either necessities or good things from 


( 110 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


His children, but, to the contrary, has 
made abundant provision for bounteous 
supplies of both. 

Jesus walks about in His Father’s 
garden. Every plant is a thing of beau¬ 
ty and is full of interest to Him. Noth¬ 
ing is without its significance or value. 
The Master knows perfectly, the men 
who co-operate with the Creator in till¬ 
ing the soil and dressing the garden. 
They are near the heart of God. They 
are working firstdianded with Him and 
His. Jesus knows the spirit they main¬ 
tain, the thoughts which fill their minds, 
and the motives which prompt their ac¬ 
tivities. 


(in) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


In God’s garden, it would seem, more 
than anywhere else, Jesus will find His 
own. All excuses for wrong-doing 
and righteousness neglected must be 
manufactured. There is less material 
from which to make excuses by work¬ 
men in God’s garden than anywhere else 
in all the world. They work in His sun¬ 
shine; breathe His pure air; drink His 
fresh water; eat from His hand of boun¬ 
ty, and clothe themselves from His Fa¬ 
therly gifts. 

They may see His name in large let¬ 
ters on every blade of grass; on every 
leaf in the garden; on every grain of 
sand, and in every drop of dew. They 


( 112 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


can hear His praises sung by the rip¬ 
pling waters in the brook; by the rain as 
it falls upon the roof; by the wind as 
it sighs upon the boughs of the trees as 
an artist’s hand upon the key-board of a 
great musical instrument, and by the 
birds whose chants are songs of love to 
their Maker. 

God’s Garden, commonly called “the 
farm,’’ is a suburb of Paradise. 

The Master has not come to see the 
beauty of the garden, however, but to 
determine the Character of those in 
charge of it. He is hunting for a 
church, the membership of which, ex¬ 
emplify “the first and great command- 


( 113 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


ment,” and also “the second which is 
like unto it” in their daily lives. It 
takes but a passing glance for Him to 
determine the value of the church to 
which these workmen in the field be¬ 
long. All that the church is to them, 
and all that it does for them, is seen and 
heard in the lives they live; the spirits 
they manifest; the words they speak, 
and the things they do. 

The next place Jesus is found is in 
the home. The home is the foundation 
of State and Church. Every institu¬ 
tion in the world depends upon the 
home for its maintenance. Capital and 


( 114 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


labor, business and society, education 
and Christianity, are indebted to the 
home for their existence. The ideals of 
manhood and womanhood are born and 
nurtured in the home. Without the 
home this world would indeed be “a 
waste, a howling wilderness,” filled 
with desolation and unfit for habitation 
by fowl or beast. 

Hie State depends upon the home 
for its citizenship. Commerce depends 
upon the home for its armies of pro¬ 
ducers and consumers in the world’s 
markets. Society depends upon the 
home for men and to supply its ever in¬ 
creasing demands. The Church of 


( 115 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


God depends upon the home for its 
membership. It is impossible to attach 
too great importance to the home. 

Jesus is in the home. He is unseen, 
but sees; unheard but hears; unknown, 
but knows all. He knows the attitude 
of the husband toward the wife and the 
attitude of the wife toward the husband. 
He knows the relations which exist be¬ 
tween parents and children and the atti¬ 
tude of each toward the other. He 
knows the relations which maintain 
among children and the feeling of each 
toward the others. 

He knows all about the government 
of the home; the example of parents be- 


( 116 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


fore children, in thought, in word, and 
in deed; the ideals of life which are be¬ 
ing formed; the effects of home influ¬ 
ences upon the family; the paths toward 
which the tender feet of children are 
turning, and the influences of home 
environment. He sees it all without 
defective vision and weighs all without 
biased mind. 

He understands the effect of the 
Church upon the life of the home and 
determines its value as an agency of 
eternal life on the basis of the fruit 
which it bears in the home. 

Having completed the search for His 


( 117 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


choice of a Church with which to affil¬ 
iate, Jesus is now ready to make His 
selection. His choice will be without 
embarrassment to any, although it may 
be a great disappointment to many. His 
choice will not be made upon tradition, 
representation, profession or appear¬ 
ance, but upon realities. His choice 
will not be made upon records of the 
past or promises for the future, but upon 
conditions as they exist at present. 

The Church whose membership has 
been found to be Christ-like in thought, 
and word, and deed, and so exemplified 
in daily business life, regardless of ev- 


( 118 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


erything else, Jesus pronounces most 
emphatically as, 

THE 

CHURCH 

OF 

HIS 

CHOICE. 


( 119 ) 
























* 


* X; 










































s 




















* 








Characteristics of the 
Church of Christ. 









* 


* 










CHAPTER X. 

Characteristics of the Church 
of Jesus Christ. 

Now that Jesus Christ has definitely 
chosen His Church, it will be a matter of 
interest to all the world to know some¬ 
thing of its leading characteristics, which 
may be summarized as follows: 

Name. —The name of the Church 
of Jesus Christ will become known to 
the world by the Scripturally exemplary 
lives of the people who compose its 
membership. 

Form of Worship. —Its Form of 


( 123 ) 







Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Worship is flexible, conforming to the 
conveniences of its membership no mat¬ 
ter what their environment may be. 

Form of Government. —Its Form 
of Government is pliable, readily ad¬ 
justable to any conditions with which it 
may have to deal. 

HISTORY.—Its History begins with 
the promise of the Father to send His 
Only Begotten Son as a ransom for the 
sins of the world. 

DOCTRINES.—Its Doctrines embody 
all that God requires of man and are 
plainly taught in the Holy Book. 

The Character it Develops.— 
The Character that the Church of Jesus 


( 124 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Christ Develops is as much like His 
Character as the branches are like the 
vine out of which they grow. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is the 
Church for the individual; the Church 
for the classes; and the Church for the 
masses. Children find a delightful home 
within its fold. Young men and maid¬ 
ens count it their highest joy to give it 
the strength of their manhood and wo¬ 
manhood. They who “have borne the 
burden and heat of the day” within its 
gates, find that in the evening time it is 
light. 

None are too young or too old; too 


( 125 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


wise or too ignorant; too strong or too 
weak; too good or too bad to be brought 
into the Church of Jesus Christ. Its 
doors are open from morning until even¬ 
ing and from evening until morning 
again. Whosoever will may enter. 
No questions are asked concerning past 
life. A willingness to comply with the 
conditions of entrance, is all that is re¬ 
quired. The price of admission is with¬ 
in the reach of all. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is an Ag¬ 
gressive Church. It has a mission in 
the world and that mission is to win 
souls to the Master- The lost sheep 


( 126 ) 






Which Church Would Jaus Join? 


upon the mountain-side must be brought 
back to the fold, no matter how dark 
the night nor perilous the undertaking. 
The “other sheep’* must also be found 
and helped into the “one fold” regard¬ 
less of the efforts which may be neces¬ 
sary for its accomplishment. 

The cry from Macedonia; the call 
from over the deep; the appeals from 
the ends of the earth for help, must be 
answered. Those who “sit in the re¬ 
gion and shadow of death” must be 
awakened and lifted up so that they 
may see the “Light of the World.” The 
hungry in heart must have the Bread 
of Life. The thirsty must have that 


( 127 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


water which if they drink, they shall 
“never thirst again.*’ The “weary and 
heavy laden’’ must have that rest which 
has been provided for them in the atone¬ 
ment of Jesus Christ. The spiritually 
blind must have the eyes of their under¬ 
standing opened. The “dead in tres¬ 
passes and sin** “must be born again.*’ 
The Church of Jesus Christ has 
caught the vision of opportunity and re¬ 
sponsibility confronting it regarding the 
evangelization of the world, and with 
the readiness of Isaiah who said, “Here 
am I, send me,** and the obedience of 
the Master Himself, expressed in the 
shadow of the Cross, “Thy will, not 


( 128 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Mine, be done,” it is ready for the tri¬ 
umphant march. 

—o— 

The Church of Jesus Christ is a Con¬ 
servation Church. The “altar against 
altar” system is eliminated. Two or 
more churches are not built where one 
is sufficient to meet the needs of the 
community. Two or more ministers 
are not mainained where one can do the 
work as well as or better than several. 
The money saved and extra ministers 
secured by conservation are used for the 
Glory of God in communities that were 
without the Gospel of Christ. No con¬ 
fusion arises from the lapping of Church 


( 129 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


interests in the same territory. Ample 
provision is made for the spiritual inter¬ 
ests of people •where the Church exists, 
nothing more, and then with all the re¬ 
sources of men and money available, the 
“Glad Tidings of Great Joy” are car¬ 
ried hurriedly to those who have never 
heard the name of Jesus Christ. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is a Min¬ 
istering Church. 

It has food for the hungry; clothing 
for the naked; hospitals for the sick; 
sympathy for the erring; schools for the 
young, and Love for all. Its arms are 
long enough to reach around the human 


( 130 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


family, and strong enough, through the 
Atoning Blood of Jesus, to uplift the 
vilest sinner. 

The ears of the Church of Jesus 
Christ are opened to the cries of distress, 
no matter from what source they may 
arise; its eyes are open to opportunities 
to do good in the world; its hands are 
ready to lift up the fallen and minister 
to their necessities; its feet are ready to 
go upon errands of mercy to help the 
needy, no matter how cold the night, 
nor how stormy the way; its lips are 
ready to speak words of sympathy, en¬ 
couragement and helpfulness any time 
and anywhere in the interest of better- 


( 131 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


ing the conditions of man; its heart is 
full of tender compassion for all grades 
and classes of humanity, no matter as to 
their condition of life. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is an Un¬ 
selfish Church. 

The spirit which it manifests is the 
Spirit of its Great Head who volunta¬ 
rily left the riches of Glory and became 
poorer than the foxes that have “holes’* 
and the birds that have “nests,** that 
others, through His poverty might be 
rich. 

The spirit which “seeketh not her 
own** and “in honor preferring one an¬ 


ti 32) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


other” pervades the Church of Jesus 
Christ. Its thought is for the other man 
and its desire is to put him in touch with 
the best things for two worlds. It does 
not seek gain with a view of consuming 
it upon itself, but to use it for the ben¬ 
efit of others. The Church of Jesus 
Christ is blessed that it may be a bless¬ 
ing to others, and saved, that it may be 
a means of saving others. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is a Suc¬ 
cessful Church. 

The wilderness and the solitary 
place shall be glad for them; and 

( 133 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


the desert shall rejoice, and blos¬ 
som like a rose. 

It shall blossom abundantly, 
and rejoice even with joy and sing¬ 
ing ; the glory of Lebanon shall be 
given unto it; the excellency of 
Carmel and Sharon, they shall see 
the glory of the Lord, and the ex¬ 
cellency of our God. 

Strengthen ye the weak hands, 
and confirm the weak knees. 

Say to them that are of a fear¬ 
ful heart: be strong, fear not; be¬ 
hold, your God will come with 
vengeance; even God with a re- 


034 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


compense; he will come and save 
you. 

Then the eyes of the blind shall 
be opened, and the ears of the 
deaf shall be unstopped. 

Then shall the lame man leap 
as an hart, and the tongue of the 
dumb sing; for in the wilderness 
shall waters break out, and streams 
in the desert. 

And the parched ground shall 
become a pool, and the thirsty land 
springs of water; in the habitation 
of dragons, where each lay, shall 
be grass with reeds and rushes. 


( 135 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


And an highway shall be there, 
and a way, and it shall be called 
the Way of Holiness; the unclean 
shall not pass over it; but it shall 
be for those; the wayfaring men, 
though fools, shall not err therein. 

No lion shall be there, nor any 
ravenous beast shall go up there¬ 
on, it shall not be found there; but 
the redeemed shall walk there; 

And the ransomed of the Lord 
shall return, and come to Zion 
with songs and everlasting joy up¬ 
on their heads; they shall obtain 
joy and gladness, and sorrow and 
sighing ^hall flee away —Isaiah 35. 


( 136 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


The gates of hell shall not prevail 
against the Church of Jesus Christ; nei¬ 
ther shall the powers of darkness tri¬ 
umph over it. The strong man of Sin 
shall be bound by the stronger man of 
Righteousness and cast out. 

The Captain of the Lord’s host has 
never been defeated in battle. Vic¬ 
tory is inscribed on all His banners. 
The word of the Lord shall not return 
void; it shall accomplish that for which 
it has been sent forth. The reapers 
shall return with rejoicing, bringing their 
sheaves with them. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is Heav¬ 
en’s hospital. The halt, the maimed 


( 137 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


and the blind are taken under its shel¬ 
tering care for treatment. The sick and 
wounded and dying are blessed within 
its healing fold. The aged, the infirm* 
and the decrepit are strengthened 
through its ministrations. 

Heaven’s Hospital is conducted up¬ 
on different principles from those which 
govern other hospitals. It is the only 
one of its kind in the world. Patients 
are admitted without money and with¬ 
out price, and also without reference 
to the cause of the malady or the his¬ 
tory of the case. 

None are too rich or too poor; too 
worthless or too near the grave to be 


( 138 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


admitted as patients to this Hospital. 
Its doors are open day and night to all 
who are afflicted with the dreadful mal¬ 
ady of sin. Its nurses are men and 
women who have been made whole 
within its gates. They know how to 
deal with every patient as they, every 
» one, have been patients within its wards. 

The Great Physician is personally in 
charge of every case. He has never 
lost a patient who was willing to submit 
to His treatment. His remedy is sim¬ 
ple, but sufficient. It is the “double 
cure** which saves from wrath and then 
makes pure. 

The Church of Jesus Christ is a Holy 


( 139 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Church. It has a Holy Origin and 
has a Holy Foundation; a Holy Pur¬ 
pose and a Holy Mission in the world. 
Its Doctrines are taken from the Holy 
Book and it depends for life and susten¬ 
ance upon the Holy Spirit. Sainthood 
is its standard. 

No matter as to the character of lives 
lived by its people before coming in 
touch and fellowship with Jesus Christ, 
His Blood washes away every sin and 
cleanses the heart from depravity, and 
then with His own power “preserves 
blameless” and “keeps unspotted from 
the world.’* 


(HO) 







Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


“I love Thy Kingdom, Lord; 

The house of Thine abode; 

The Church our Blest Redeemer saved 
With His Own precious Blood. 

“I love Thy Church, O God, 

Her walls before Thee stand; 

Dear as the apple of Thine eye 
And graven on Thy Hand. 

“For Her my tears shall fall; 

For Her my prayers ascend; 

To Her my cares and toils be given 
'Til toils and cares shall end. 

“Beyond my highest joy 

I prize Her Heavenly ways; 


(Ml) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Her sweet Communion, solemn vows, 
Her hymns of Love and Praise. 

“Sure as Thy truth shall last, 

To Zion shall be given. 

The brightest glories earth can yield 
And brigther bliss of Heaven.” 

“All Hail the Power of Jesus* Name, 
Let angels prostrate fall; 

Bring forth the Royal Diadem, 

And crown Him Lord of All. 

“Ye chosen seed of Israel’s race, 

Ye ransomed from the fall, 


( 142 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


Hail Him who saves you by His Grace 
And crown Him Lord of All. 

“Sinners, whose love can ne’er forget 
The wormwood and the gall; 

Go, spread your trophies at His feet 
And crown Him Lord of All. 

“Let every kindred, every tribe 
On this terrestrial ball. 

To Him all Majesty ascribe 
And crown Him Lord of All. 

“O that with yonder sacred throng 
We at His feet may fall. 

We’ll join the everlasing throng 
And crown Him Lord of All.’’ 


( 143 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


“I am dwelling on the mountain, 
Where the golden sunlight gleams, 
O’er a land whose wondrous beauty 
Far exceeds my fondest dreams; 
Where the air is pure, ethereal, 
Laden with the breath of flowers. 
They are blooming by the fountain, 
’Neath the amaranthine bowers. 

“I can see far down the mountain, 
Where I wandered weary years. 
Often hindered in my journey 

By the ghosts of doubts and fears. 
Broken vows and disappointments 
Thickly sprinkled all the way. 

But the Spirit led, unerring. 

To the land I hold to-day. 


( 144 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


“Iam drinking at the fountain. 

Where I ever would abide; 

For I’ve tasted life’s pure river, 

And my soul is satisfied; 

There’s no thirsting for life’s pleasures, 
Nor adorning, rich and gay, 

For I’ve found a richer treasure, 

One that fadefh not away.” 


“I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s 
everything to me, 

He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my 
soul; 

The Lily of the Valley, in Him alone 
I see. 


( 145 ) 






Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


All I need to cleanse and make me 
fully whole; 

In sorrow He’s my comfort, in trouble 
He’s my stay, 

He teflls me every care on Him to 
roll. 

He’s the Lily of the Valley, the bright 
and morning Star, 

He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my 
soul. 

“He all my griefs has taken, and all my 
sorrows borne; 

In temptation He’s my strong and 
mighty tower; 


( 146 ) 





Which Church Would Jetui Join? 


I have all for Him forsaken, and all my 
idols torn 

From my heart, and now He keeps 
me by His power. 

Though all the world forsake me, and 
Satan tempts me sore. 

Through Jesus I shall safely reach the 
goal. 

He’s the Lily of the Valley, the bright 
and morning Star, 

He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my 
soul. 

“He will never, never leave me, nor yet 
forsake me here, 

While I live by faith and do His 
blessed will; 


( 147 ) 





Which Church Would Jesus Join? 


A wall of fire about me. I’ve nothing 
now to fear; 

With His manna He my hungry soul 
shall fill; 

Then sweeping up to glory we see His 
blessed face. 

Where rivers of delight shall ever 
roll. 

He’s the Lily of the Valley, the bright 
and morning Star, 

He’s the fairest of ten thousand to my 
soul.” 


048 ) 


































































































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